


How Denial Dies

by justabensonfanatic



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Flowers, Fluff and Smut, Hotel Sex, Romance, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:28:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justabensonfanatic/pseuds/justabensonfanatic
Summary: Denial had died the second she'd run into him in that bathroom.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 85
Collections: Barson Valentine's Day Collection 2021





	How Denial Dies

**Author's Note:**

> PROMPT: Pre-relationship! Some work trip that gets canceled by the time they’ve already gotten there. They have the rest of the day and the next to themselves. Flufffff. And some situation where Rafael has to face a phobia with Liv. NOT NECESSARY but for some reason I want Rafael to have a fear of water and Liv teaches him how to swim.
> 
> Special thanks to @immen_sity for being an absolute gem as I poured everything into this ridiculously long one-shot!

The cathartic slam of her car door was an annoyed one. A slam fueled by the knot in her neck, her exhaustion, and that awful trapped feeling characteristic of car rides longer than an hour or two. This particular car ride, New York to D.C., had taken over four hours. The traffic had been _hell._

Wincing and stretching, Olivia rolled out her neck with a groan, inaudible over the matching slam of her passenger door. Despite her general discomfort, she couldn't help but smile as she listened to the grumbling of a similarly annoyed Rafael Barba coming from the other side of the car. At least he was here. So far it was looking like Rafael was going to be the only silver lining of this inconvenient cloud.

"Pop the trunk, Liv," he called, rounding the car, "The quicker we get checked in the quicker we can _sleep."_

"I'm gonna kill Dodds the next time I see him," Olivia said conversationally, opening the door to pop the trunk, "Or at least tell him the next time he springs something like this on me, _he_ gets to be the one babysitting Noah."

"You won't find me complaining," Rafael said honestly, yanking his small suitcase free of her car, "I'll take you over Dodds any day."

She grinned at him, "I'm flattered. Grab my bag too, will you?"

"Sure." He pulled out her duffle bag with a small grunt before slamming the trunk shut. Olivia locked the car as he handed it to her.

"Let's go."

As they made their way across the darkened parking lot, Rafael awkwardly slipped his phone out of his pocket and groaned. "It's already 10 o'clock."

"Ugh, I know," Olivia complained. "I've been going since 6 this morning, I'm ready to drop dead."

The automatic doors to the hotel lobby opened in front of them as Rafael gave her a sympathetic grimace, "Almost done, Liv, almost done."

"I know," she sighed.

"Look, if you want, I can handle reception," he offered, "You drove, it's the least I can do."

"Thanks," she said gratefully, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"Of course," he smiled.

* * *

Olivia felt like a kid as she fell backward 15 minutes later, arms spread, to land with a muffled _whoomp_ onto her queen-sized bed. Her eyes fluttered shut as she gripped the cool sheets beneath her.

"Having fun?"

Her eyes opened a crack to see Rafael staring down at her with a smirk that caused her stomach to squirm for some reason. She immediately pushed up onto her elbows with a pout. "I _was_ having fun," she complained.

He shook his head but the smile-crinkles at the corners of his eyes gave his amusement away, "You really _are_ exhausted," he teased, pushing farther into the room to drop her duffle bag next to her bed, "I've got the room next to you, number 236, okay? Feel free to knock if you need anything."

She seriously doubted that would be the case judging on how close she was to passing out right here, but she smiled and said "Will do. Same goes for you. Although," she amended, "if you knock anytime before 5 o'clock tomorrow, I will strangle you."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said dryly, "We need to be at the conference by 7, correct?"

Olivia sat up to pull her phone from her pocket, "That's what I was told," she said, pulling up the email from the chief to confirm. "Yep. 7 o'clock."

"I'll meet you out in the hall at 6:15 then?" Rafael asked.

She nodded, "Sounds perfect."

"Well then," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Liv."

"You too, Rafa."

The door hadn't even shut behind him before she was falling back onto the bed only to find herself wincing and groaning as she landed. The knot in her neck was screaming at her. Still wincing, Olivia sat up and began to rub at it hoping the pain would subside quickly enough.

It didn't.

Olivia let out a heavy sigh. She needed to shower. Standing under the warm spray always helped her muscles to relax, something she desperately needed right now if she wanted to be able to actually sleep. Without a second thought, she stripped down to her bra and underwear and grabbed her travel-sized shampoo and body wash out of her bag.

She walked right into the bathroom, not bothering to look where she was going and slammed into something warm and hard. The bottles in her hands clattered to the floor as her hands flew up to steady herself and she stumbled a little, grabbing at the first thing she could. Her hands landed on someone's chest. Someone's very bare chest. Slowly, Olivia brought her head up to lock eyes with Rafael.

A very shirtless Rafael. Who, as it turns out, was a boxers guy.

"What the—What are you doing in my bathroom?!" she shrieked, heart pounding.

 _"Your_ bathroom?" he asked, aghast, "This is my bathroom!"

"But—" Olivia's head whipped behind her to the open door leading into her room before she peered over his shoulder to find another doorway leading into another room, almost identical to hers. "This is an _adjoined bathroom?"_

"I didn't know, Liv, I swear!" Rafael cried, lifting his hands up in surrender, "I didn't—"

His voice cut off as his eyes flicked down.

Olivia's heart jumped to her throat as she suddenly grew hyper-aware of the air on her exposed skin... Her scarred skin. Shame and embarrassment shot through her like a bullet but his eyes didn't waver. "Barba!" she finally snapped, frantically grabbing a towel from the shelf behind her as her body jerked backward.

His eyes were back on her face by the time she'd wrapped it around her and he was flushing too, his expression remorseful.

When he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off, "Don't. Say it."

"I—Okay."

The silence that fell over them was broken moments later as Rafael cleared his throat. Her eyes which had been staring at the floor dragged their way up to his face but not before they'd lingered over his now tented boxers. Heat shot through her body at his obvious arousal and her eyes flicked up to meet his.

"I wasn't staring at your scars, Liv," he whispered.

Her face was hot for a different reason now. She swallowed heavily. "What were you staring at then?" she asked, feeling a little reckless.

"You."

Her breath hitched. Her lips parted as she sucked in a breath causing his adam's apple to bob. The sight sent a heady shot of desire through her body and she lurched forward only to kick her bottle of body wash across the tile with a skittering noise.

The sound seemed to shake him out of it and he stumbled backward, "I—I should let you shower," Rafael murmured. "I'll, uh, I'll knock next time."

"I—Okay. I will too."

"G'night Liv."

The door clicked shut behind him before the words left her lips.

"Night Rafa."

* * *

_What the hell was that?_

Rafael compulsively ran his hands through his hair as he paced, desperately trying to ignore the sounds of Olivia turning on the shower.

A nasty voice hissed at him, _Olivia already turned_ you _on._ He shook his head rapidly.

 _Shit._ This wasn't good.

 _Work. Think about work._ Rafael immediately stalked across the room and dived into his suitcase in search of his notes. Maybe if he could absorb himself in literally anything else he could forget about the compelling swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips. It would be hard, but at least he could try. Rafael pulled out his briefcase, popped it open, and stared unseeingly down at the organized papers within.

Nope.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't shake the memory of her slamming into him, feeling her skin on his, smelling the surprising scent of ginger in her hair. And, fuck, the sight of her standing there in nothing but a nude-colored bra and black underwear? Too much to bear. And the way her cheeks had grown pink as she saw his visceral reaction... _Fuck._ He wanted to kiss her, _really_ kiss her. The type of kiss that would curl her toes and leave her breathless. But more than that, he wanted _her_ to kiss _him_ like that. He scoffed at the thought. _Wishful thinking._

He tossed his notes onto the dresser.

He couldn't afford to think like this, to think about her like this. He couldn't risk that.

But that look in her eyes... _Maybe she—No._ No. _Stop that._

 _Wishful thinking_ , he frowned, _Wishful thinking._

* * *

Olivia allowed the warm water to wash over her face and bit her lip as she relived dragging her eyes up Rafael's body. She'd never seen that much of him before. He looked good. Really good. And, uh, apparently, he thought she looked good too.

 _He was staring at_ me. _At_ me.

She'd been seconds away from kissing him. She would've _kissed him._ The realization knocked the wind out of her. God, what had she been thinking? Olivia winced as she recalled the way he'd flinched back. Had Rafael known she was about to kiss him? Was that why he left? She couldn't tell if it was her movement or the abrupt clatter of her bottle of body wash that sent him running. She wished it was the latter.

 _Wishful thinking._ She scowled at her body wash before grabbing the offending bottle. She lathered her hands up, her mind still on Rafael. _It's probably best he left_ , she reasoned with herself, _You're just exhausted. It would've ruined everything._

_Wouldn't it?_

Olivia sighed. It didn't matter anyway. If she knew Rafael, which she liked to think she did, they'd just chalk this up to exhaustion and move on.

But did she want to move on? She probably _should_ want to move on. For his sake. For their sake. But she _didn't_ want to move on, to ignore it. She let the last of the bubbles wash away but stayed under the spray, allowing the tension to melt from her shoulders. What had changed? The two of them had been dancing around each other for years. She knew it, he knew it. He had to know it.

Olivia sighed heavily. She didn't want to dance anymore. This went beyond just lust. He was her best friend, he knew her better than anyone.

 _And you could lose him if you're not careful_.

Her heart clenched. No. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't risk him running away, she cared far too much about their friendship to allow that to happen.

Olivia sighed heavily, rolled her neck, and stifled a yawn. It was too late for this. She needed to swallow her disappointment.

 _Just chalk it up to exhaustion and move on, Olivia_ , she told herself, _Just... move on._

* * *

Olivia woke up with a groan to the sound of her phone alarm and rolled to her side, arm immediately stretching to shut it up. As she pressed snooze, she noticed an email notification entitled CANCELLATION and blinked wearily. She unlocked her phone.

The more she read, the more irritated she became as she realized that this trip had been for nothing. The conference was canceled. A burst pipe had flooded the conference venue; the entire thing would have to be postponed a month in order to secure a new venue.

_Brilliant. Just perfect._

Olivia clicked her phone off and rolled over, covering her face with her pillow in a pitiful attempt to recapture some sleep. She'd dropped _everything_ for this damn conference and now it wasn't even happening?! God, it was too early for this shit. If she could just drift back to sleep before anything else, maybe she'd be able to—Her phone buzzed once more.

"Damnit," she hissed furiously, tossing her pillow aside as she flopped back over to grab her phone. Her nostrils flared when she saw who it was. It was Dodds.

— _Saw the email. Wanted to let you know the department won't cancel the hotel reservations for the weekend. Consider it a paid vacation as an apology for the inconvenience of it all. Thank you again for covering for me, Lieutenant._

Well, that was something at least. She shot back a quick thanks and rolled on her back to stare up at the ceiling. A whole weekend off. She should probably get back to Noah, let Rollins off the hook. She should probably call... But after she slept.

Olivia sucked in a deep breath and allowed the tension in her muscles to slowly fade, letting any annoyance go for the moment. Just a couple more hours of sleep. That's all she needed. Just a—

Her snoozed alarm rang out and she let out a small growl of fury.

And then she was up.

* * *

Rafael made sure to knock on the bathroom door this time.

"Olivia?"

No response.

He let out a small sigh of relief and opened the door, his toothbrush and toothpaste in tow. He couldn't afford another repeat of the night before. His dreams last night had been... intense. If he managed to look her in the eyes today without flushing, he'd be proud of himself.

After going to the bathroom, he washed his hands, frowning at his reflection in the mirror. He definitely needed to shave before they left. Just as he'd come to this conclusion, he heard a soft knock from the other door. "I'm decent," he called out.

Olivia opened the door a crack to peek her head in. "Did you check your email," she asked, her voice still thick with sleep. _Fuck._ Did she really have to look so cute with her hair mussed up?

"Not yet," he said, confused, "Why?"

"The conference is canceled. Burst pipe."

"Canceled?!" he asked, aghast, "You're joking."

She shot a look at him and opened the door a bit more, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"No." He pointedly ignored the way his breath hitched at the sight of her in shorts and a baggy t-shirt. He cleared his throat. "So what now?"

Olivia shrugged, "Dodds said the hotel reservations are still good for today and tomorrow and I texted Rollins. She said she already had plans for Noah and Jesse these next two days and made it clear that Noah would definitely be disappointed if I stole him away from 'Auntie Manda and his best friend.'"

He eyed her warily. "What are you saying, then?"

"I think I'm about to spend a weekend off in D.C.," she said with a little half-smile, "The only question now is will I have a friend to spend it with?"

Rafael just stared at her, a little shocked. Did she... Did she want to spend the weekend with him?

"Well?" she said in response to his silence.

"I..." Could he do this? Could he trust himself to do this?

Olivia looked a little nervous now. "It doesn't have to be the whole weekend," she added.

God, he wanted to kiss her. _Speak, you idiot!_

She tried a different approach. "I don't know about you but I can't go back to sleep," she said softly, "Apparently, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are beautiful this time of year."

"Oh really?" he finally managed.

"Mhmm," she nodded, "They recommend getting there early before the lilies close in the heat."

"Well," Rafael said, lips twitching, "We're definitely up early."

A smile began to spread across her face, "Is that a 'yes I'll hang out in D.C. with you Liv?'"

He gave her a crooked grin, "Yes, I'll hang out in D.C. with you Liv."

"For the whole weekend or...?"

"For the whole weekend," he affirmed.

The smile she gave him was disarmingly radiant.

 _Oh yeah. I'm fucked_ , he thought. _And I think... I think I like it._

* * *

They couldn't have asked for better weather. The early morning air was crisp on their cheeks and the sky was a brilliant blue and clear except for a few fluffy white clouds as Rafael tossed their coffee cups in the nearest trash can and Olivia made her way over to check the large map.

By the time Rafael caught up to her, Olivia was tracing her finger along one of the green paths on the map that seemed to wind its way around the many ponds rumored to be filled with beautiful water lilies. "Where to, Lieutenant?" Rafael asked, trying not to stare at the way the morning sun brought out the golden highlights of her hair.

"This path," she decided with a sharp nod before turning to him, "If that's alright with you."

He shrugged, truly indifferent, "I honestly have no preference. This path looks fine to me." Plants were plants.

"Alright then," she smiled, "Let's go."

Rafael followed as she enthusiastically pressed forward onto the gravel path lined with colorful foliage and tall trees before them. The way the trees curved above them formed almost a tunnel making it so they couldn't see too far ahead and from what he could see, besides the two of them, there were only a couple of joggers and a man with binoculars out this morning. It was a quiet morning along the path she had picked, it seemed. Perhaps it was this, or maybe the early hour, but there was a peaceful intimacy in the quiet that neither wanted to break as they strolled side by side not speaking. Rafael couldn't help but watch Olivia's expression as her eyes swept over the scenery, a small smile tugging at her lips.

When she finally broke their quiet, she whispered the one word on his mind. "Beautiful."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

She turned to him and grinned. "C'mon, let's see what's around the bend."

Before long, the trees began to thin causing sunlight to filter through. Despite the way it made him squint, Rafael didn't mind. Sunlight meant more flowers which meant more of Olivia stopping him to point them and other plants out to him.

Rafael had never been very fond of plants. Why would he? For the first 20 something years of his life, he'd never left the concrete jungle of NYC. Besides, plants didn't like him. Every potted plant he'd ever touched died on him. And roses made him sneeze. So yeah. He just... wasn't fond of plants.

But these plants, whatever they were? The ones she pointed out to him with her eyes all lit up and excited? They were beautiful.

"Look at the daffodils!"

They were yellow. Yellow had never looked so sunny.

"And, wow, look at those lilies!"

They were pink. Maybe pink was his favorite color now.

"There's so many of them, Rafa!"

Her cheeks were pink too as she grinned at him. _Yeah..._ he thought, itching to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, _Pink is definitely my new favorite color._

"Hello? Rafa?"

She was looking at him expectantly. He cleared his throat, "They're pretty."

She laughed, "That's what you said about the last twenty flowers I pointed out to you!"

"What?" he asked defensively, "They _are_ pretty."

She shook her head at him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along, "You're hopeless," she grumbled.

He just shrugged.

Plants were plants after all.

* * *

If she didn't know better, Olivia would've thought she was drunk. It would certainly explain her inexplicable urge to smile at everything.

 _Inexplicable?_ the nasty voice in her head snarked.

 _Okay fine._ She knew why she wanted to smile. The lilies had been perfect.

_Just the lilies?_

Fine, the entire morning had been perfect. The little looks Rafael had snuck at her as they walked were perfect. The disarmingly soft expression on his face when she'd grabbed his hand had been perfect. Hell, even him sulking across from her at this tiny little table right now was perfect.

Poor Rafa. They'd barely lasted an hour before they'd had to flee the lovely aquatic gardens; they were now having a very early lunch at a small diner not too far from their hotel.

"Really, Rafael, it's okay," she told him for the fifth time, "It's not your fault you were allergic," Olivia said sympathetically.

It had started with Rafael sniffling.

_"Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it."_

_"Okay."_

He'd made it 10 minutes before the sniffling had turned into sneezing. And sneezing. And sneezing...

"I thought it was just roses," he complained, not meeting her eyes.

It took all her power to refrain from smiling at his pink nose when he scowled at the napkins he'd used to blow his nose.

"I was just going to avoid any roses, Liv."

"Rafa."

"I've never seen lilies before, how was I supposed—"

"Rafa."

"—to know I was allergic to lilies?!"

"Rafa!" She couldn't hide her grin anymore at his gaping expression, "It's _fine!"_ It was more than fine. _You knew you might have an allergic reaction and came anyway._

He frowned, "But you were having such a good time. I feel like an ass."

She rolled her eyes, "It's fine. You apologized like twenty times in the car."

"Between sneezes!" he countered, slightly irritated by her amusement, "Those don't count."

 _Stubborn man._ "Let's just put it behind us, okay?"

"Like the bathroom last night?" he shot back. A jolt of surprise caused her to give him a double-take as his eyes widened, his face mortified.

Her lips twitched, "Oh, so we _are_ talking about that?" Olivia teased.

He blinked rapidly. "Uh..."

She took pity on his panicked expression. "I'm just teasing." _But maybe we should talk about it..._

His relief when she didn't was obvious.

She pushed her disappointment away, "Do you think Dodds knew?" Olivia asked him instead.

His face twisted with confusion. "About what? The conference being canceled? How would he—"

"No," she interrupted, beginning to grin, "About the adjoined bathroom."

Rafael's eyes bugged out. "Oh god, I hope not. Otherwise..."

"That would've been Dodds running into you half-naked," she smirked.

Rafael shuddered. "You're evil, putting that thought in my head, you know that right?"

Olivia grinned wickedly, wiggling her eyebrows at him as he pretended to throw up just to make her laugh. She did.

"You can go back you know," Rafael said abruptly, "To the flowers. After lunch."

"I'm not going to abandon you for flowers, Rafa," she frowned. "We can do something else." _Please._

"Like what?"

She paused. What the hell did she want to do? Other than sleep? _With him,_ the nasty voice added. She ignored it. "I have no idea." She shook her head. "What do you want to do?"

He let out a little laugh, "Other than sleep? No clue. We could do nothing, but..." he shrugged.

Sleep sounded so good right now, "But what? We can do nothing," she argued _._ "I'd _rather_ do nothing."

He looked relieved, "Me too. Wanna just go back to the hotel? Get room service and watch crappy daytime tv? Or rent a movie?"

"You know, _that_ ," she pointed at him, "Sounds perfect. Let's do it. Let's do nothing. As long as—"

"We get to nap first?" Rafael interrupted hopefully.

Olivia grinned, "You read my mind."

* * *

The two made it back to the hotel in record time, almost giddy with the prospect of napping. The car ride was spent debating how many pillows were too many pillows, arguing over the proper length for a good power nap, and all but drooling over how fucking _good_ this was going to be.

_"I wanna sleep so deeply I get those, like, sleep lines on my arms," Olivia gushed, her voice full of longing._

_Rafael nodded enthusiastically, "Ohh, yes, and that moment when you wake up all confused? That. I want_ that."

They'd grinned at each other in front of their hotel rooms, wishing each other sweet dreams with the confidence of lions before stepping into their prospective rooms, because of course they were going to pass out the second their heads touched their pillows.

Ha. Nope.

Olivia couldn't get her brain to shut up as she stared up at the darkened ceiling, too keyed up to sleep. Nothing was working. She'd tried progressive muscle relaxation, clearing her mind, hell, even counting sheep like a three-year-old but nope. She was _awake_ and there was nothing she could about it.

Just as she came to this disappointing realization, he knocked on her bathroom door.

"Come in," she called out, more than a little relieved as she sat up and pushed the covers down.

He cracked the door open, "I didn't wake you did I?"

"I wish," she sighed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, "I can't sleep."

"Same here," he groaned, coming in and closing the door behind him.

Her lips twitched with amusement, "We're hopeless aren't we?"

He cracked a grin, "Looks like it."

"Open the blinds will you?" Olivia asked, stifling a little whine as she arched her back, stretching a little.

"Sure."

She blinked a little as light flooded the room.

"Well?" he asked, "What now?"

Olivia reached over for her TV remote and wiggled it at him. "Wanna watch a movie?"

He grinned and grabbed her desk chair in answer.

* * *

"Here's to swimmin' with bow-legged women," Quint said on the screen as Olivia's mind—and eyes—wandered.

Why did he have to lounge like that? He did it at work too.

Her eyes flicked back to the movie—Jaws. She'd seen it before when she was a teen. It seemed a lot more interesting then.

Her eyes slid like magnets back to Rafael's reclined body. She frowned. Did the man not know how to sit on a chair? Putting his feet up like that, like he owned the place. It should irritate her. Olivia's forehead crinkled as she studied him through narrowed eyes. Why didn't it irritate her?

 _Because you want him, you idiot_ , that nasty voice snarked at her.

Rafael's eyes, previously fixed on the TV, naturally shifted over to her before he frowned. "What are you looking at, Benson?"

Jaws was forgotten as her face flushed, "Nothing."

"Uh-huh," he hummed, his expression disbelieving. "Are you sure?" he challenged, "Because it kind of looked like you were staring at me."

 _I was_ , she thought. "You wish," she shot back instead.

"You _were_ staring at me." He smiled slowly, his feet dropping from where they'd been propped up as he leaned towards where she was sitting on her bed, "Why were you staring at me Liv?"

She glared at him, swallowing heavily.

"The movie not interesting enough for you?" he quirked, "Gotta watch me watch it?"

"Shut up."

He liked this, "Hit a nerve, did I?"

"Barba..." she warned. _Don't you dare..._

"I definitely hit a nerve," he grinned, "We don't have to watch this movie you know. If it's that boring."

She couldn't look at him. "It's not boring!"

"Are you sure 'cause we don't have—"

She blurted out the first thing she could think of. "Swimming! We could go swimming!"

The smirk slid off his face.

 _Good._ "The hotel has a pool. And a gift shop with swimsuits. We could swim."

He glanced away nervously, suddenly tense. "Or we could not."

 _What?_ "Why not?" she asked, confused before smiling, "You know there're no sharks in the pool, right?"

"What—No, obviously not—We just—There are other things to do," he spluttered defensively.

Olivia frowned at his sudden change in mood, "Rafa? What's the matter?"

"Nothing's 'the matter,'" he said moodily, "Let's just finish the movie. Feel free to stare."

Olivia eyed him strangely as he refused to look at her, his eyes trained on the TV. After a moment, she forced herself to watch too but couldn't help the way her eyes flicked back to him every once in a while.

He'd been flirting with her. Up until she brought up swimming, he'd been flirting with her. Why'd he stop?

_Was it the swimsuits?_

No. He'd been anything but self-conscious in the bathroom last night and he'd definitely proven that her scars didn't repulse him. Maybe that was it. Maybe he felt guilty or something. About how'd reacted. But when she'd called him out...

_"I wasn't staring at your scars, Liv."_

_"What were you staring at then?"_

_"You."_

That didn't sound guilty. The opposite actually.

So what was it then?

_I have no idea. But I think I'd like to find out._

She eyed him through narrowed eyes and came to a decision. The dancing around each other, the dancing around their feelings that they'd done for years? That was over. They had feelings for each other. There was no use denying it, not anymore.

Denial had died the second she'd run into him in that bathroom.

His eyes flicked over to hers only to flit away just as quickly. Did he know this? Did he know there was no point anymore, not really? Maybe not. But he would. She sucked in a deep breath. Tonight he'd know. Their dance with denial was finally dead.

* * *

"Rafa..." Olivia called out, ignoring the nervous flip of her stomach as she knocked on his bathroom door, "Open up, I know you're there."

She could barely make out his exasperated sigh before his voice rang out, "Come on in." He sounded annoyed.

He was busy sifting through his briefcase, his back to her, when she walked in, heart thumping.

"I'm going swimming if you'd like to join me."

His head dropped to his chest before he began to pivot, "Olivia. I already told you, I don't want—"

His body froze and his voice cut off abruptly as he took in the sight of her in a tight one-piece and nothing else.

She swallowed her nerves, "Well I do. Want to go swimming."

He said nothing. He was too busy wracking his eyes down her body.

Her breath caught in her throat, "So you can either stay up here alone or—or you can join me in the pool. The choice is yours."

It was a challenge. She knew it, he knew it.

Olivia waited for his eyes to meet hers before she jerked her chin up, eyeing him combatively.

"I won't wait long," she warned, causing him to swallow heavily before she turned on her heel and left. The bathroom door closed with a resolute click.

She collapsed against the door. _Oh my god. Oh my GOD._ She'd actually done it.

She'd crossed the line. Olivia pushed off the door and fled, making sure to grab a towel in her hasty exit. Only one question remained.

Would he?

* * *

He was going to hyperventilate. Oh god, he was going to _hyperventilate!_

_Deep breaths, deep breaths, Rafael, pull yourself together!_

She wanted him to join her. Dressed like that. With that _look_ on her face.

But she wanted him to join her in a _pool._

What the hell was he going to do? He knew what he _wanted_ to do. He wanted to go down there, grab her by her skimpy little bathing suit straps, and stick his tongue down her throat. That's what he wanted. Desperately.

But _fuck_. The _water_.

He couldn't swim. And he didn't want to swim.

But he wanted her. He wanted Olivia Benson. Now.

 _Damnit._ Without a second thought, Rafael stalked into the bathroom and grabbed a _fucking_ towel. It looked like he had swim trunks to buy.

* * *

_He's not coming._

Olivia stared down at the water she was currently standing knee-deep in, frowning deeply. She hadn't gotten in the water yet, at least not past standing on the pool steps. She'd gotten some strange looks from a couple in the hot tub across the ways around minute 3 but she didn't care. All she cared about was the panic she'd put on her best friend's face.

What did she do?

She should go back up and apologize. She really, really should. But instead, she was stood there paralyzed by stupid, stupid hope. He wouldn't come. He wouldn't.

But what if he did? What if he walked through the door, asked her what the hell she was doing standing there, and pushed her in? Her lips twitched at the thought despite the guilt churning in her stomach. He wouldn't do that though because he wouldn't come. She glanced at the large clock above the door. She'd been here almost 10 minutes. God, she must look stupid.

Just as Olivia sighed and stepped down a step, the door opened and her mind went blank.

He... He actually came. Wearing an unreadable expression and bright red swim trunks.

She watched anxiously as he made his way over to her. What would he say? What should she say?

"Olivia," he said quietly in greeting, his eyes trained on the pool as he tossed his towel and wallet next to hers on a pool chair.

"Rafa," she said just as formally as him. "You came."

He continued to stare at the water.

"Rafael?" she asked, taking in his slightly apprehensive expression.

"Mhm?"

"Are you... okay?"

His eyes flicked over to her but he said nothing.

"Are you coming in?"

He swallowed heavily. "I, uh, I don't know how to swim."

* * *

Rafael watched as understanding set into Olivia's expression followed quickly by guilt.

"Oh Rafa, I'm so sorry, I had no idea! I wouldn't have dragged you—"

"I wanted to come," he assured her. "I must be out of my mind, but I wanted to come."

"R-Really?" Her eyes were wide.

"Yeah," he shrugged.

The look she gave him was a suspicious one, "Why?"

 _Oh, I don't know, maybe 'cause you waltzed into my room in_ that, he thought. "Are you going to teach me to swim or not?" he said instead.

She grinned, "Yeah. Get in here."

 _Fuck._ He froze.

Her expression was kind when she waved him over, "Come on, I'll be here the whole time," she assured him softly. She grinned, "Besides, you'd have to really fuck up to drown in the shallow end, Raf."

He scowled at her, simultaneously relieved and slightly irritated as he made his way over and stepped onto the first step, flinching a little. When she held out her hand to him, he swallowed his pride and grabbed it, allowing her to guide them down steps until they were waist-deep in the shallow end.

"Shit, it's cold!" she swore, bouncing a little on her toes. He pretended it didn't drive him crazy.

"Wuss," he shot at her, making Olivia glare at him.

"Ass," she snapped back before surprising him as she dunked into the water only to pop up seconds later, spraying him with water when she shook her hair a little. "Your turn," she challenged.

He immediately grimaced. "Do I have to?" he blurted.

Olivia winced, looking apologetic, "No, of course not, sorry. We really don't have to do this—"

"You know what, I'm already in the water, we might as well," he shrugged, steeling himself. He didn't give her a chance to respond before he screwed up his face, pinched his nose, and bent his knees fully submerging himself in the chilly water before scrambling to stand, gasping. To her credit, Olivia didn't laugh when he spluttered and swiped the water from his eyes. He took a leaf from her book and shook his head sending water droplets flying.

"Jesus Rafa!" she cried, "What are you, a dog?"

"Sorry," he winced.

"It's fine," she said honestly, wiping her face off and pushing some of her wet hair away from her face, "Now that that is done with... When you say you don't know how to swim—"

"I don't know anything," he stated, heading off her question, "At all. This is my third time in a pool. Ever."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, okay."

"Yeah."

"Well, uh, I taught Noah how to swim, so I can teach you," she said, more to convince herself than him.

"That's reassuring," he deadpanned.

She ignored him. "We should start with floating."

"Floating?" he asked skeptically.

"That's how I started with Noah and it worked, okay?" she said impatiently, "Got a problem with that?

He shook his head, "No, I was just—"

"Look, I didn't exactly come here planning to teach you how to swim, Rafa, so excuse me if I'm a little nervous."

"You're nervous?"

"A little," she admitted.

His expression softened, "Liv... You don't need to be nervous," he reassured her, impulsively reaching out to tuck a wet strand of hair behind her ear. When she didn't flinch back, he was emboldened and brushed his thumb against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut. _God, she's beautiful_. "I'm the one who can't swim after all."

Her eyes popped open.

"Floating!" she blurted, "Floating. We'll start with floating."

As he'd said, it was his turn to be nervous when she pushed back and assumed the authoritative stance he associated with her delegating to her squad.

"Do you know how to float?"

"Don't you just... lay back or something?"

"Or something." Before Rafael knew what was happening, she was on her back like a starfish, her hair fanned out in the water. "It sounds weird but the first thing you need to do is relax. If you're tense, you'll just sink."

"Relax..." _Doubtful._ "Uh-huh, what next?"

"You'll want to spread out, distribute your weight." She sank back into the water only to swim over and stand next to him. "Wanna try?"

"Just like that?"

"Why not?" she argued.

"Oh, I don't know maybe because 'if you're tense, you'll just sink!'" he retorted.

"Rafa..." she said in that voice of hers, the one she used when she wanted him to do something for her, "Please. I'll be right here to help you. You have nothing to worry about, okay?" When he continued to stare, she reached forward and grabbed his hand. "I promise."

"...Fine."

Before he could talk himself out of it, Rafael leaned back and attempted to do as she'd said. When he immediately began to sink, he yelped only to feel Olivia's hands on his back, supporting him as laid back on top of the water.

"See!" she beamed, "There you are! You're doing it!"

"I am!" he grinned, staring up at the ceiling excited to feel his body so weightless. "I'm actually floating!"

Until he made the mistake of looking at her. The sight of her standing over him, her hair wet, slick fabric tight to her breasts, smile-crinkles around her warm, brown eyes, her hands on the small of his back... He lost all concentration. Even her hands couldn't support him anymore and he sunk like a rock.

By the time Olivia helped him back to his feet apologizing profusely, he was gasping, spitting water, and coughing like an idiot. She quickly dragged him to his feet, warding off the well-meaning cries of "Is he alright!" from the couple in the hot tub with a definite, "He's _fine_ , thank you!' before turning to where he'd fled to the pool stairs with a frantic "You're okay right? Please tell me you're okay. Oh god, I should've—"

"I'm okay," he managed weakly, "Just... _Done_ for today. No more swimming."

She nodded rapidly. "Of course, I'm so sorry Rafael."

He held his hand up, effectively cutting her off. "Don't apologize. Let's just... go." He stood up on shaky legs, stumbled to the pool chair, and wrapped his towel around his shoulders. "Let's just go."

* * *

All Olivia could think of was the look he'd given her before he'd sunk. There was no denying the heat she'd seen there. And what was that with him pushing her hair behind her ear? He wasn't actually... acknowledging anything, but he was definitely acting differently. For example, he wasn't bothering to hide the way he stared as they stood together, dripping, in the elevator up to their room. She couldn't help the way it made her stomach flutter despite her lingering guilt. Maybe if she hadn't been so distracted by that look he'd given her, she would've caught him before he sunk. Stupid.

"I really am sorry," Olivia said softly, her face remorseful, as they reached their doors.

He gave her a wan smile, "I know. And I really am okay, alright?"

"Alright..." she said slowly, not quite believing him.

"Can we just forget about it?" he asked, fishing his key card from his wallet, "My ego's already bruised enough," he quirked with a crooked smile.

"Yeah, of course," Olivia assured him, pulling her card out too, "Consider it forgotten."

"Thanks, Liv," he said sincerely as he unlocked his door. After a pause, he looked at her looking a little cautious, "Would you want to order room service when we're done getting cleaned up?"

Olivia gave him a little half-smile as she made a mental note of the way he fidgetted with his room key, "I'd like that," she breathed as she opened her door too. She tossed her towel in before her before it hit her, "Wait, Rafael!" He turned to her. "What about the shower?"

* * *

_The shower._ Fuck. That shower would be the death of him.

"Oh shit," Rafael frowned. "You can go first."

"But I hogged the shower last night," she argued, closing her door. "You go first."

He rolled his eyes at her. "I'm really not in the mood to argue about this Liv." _If we keep arguing, I won't be able to keep my hands off you._

"Shower first then," she snarked teasingly.

Screw the shower. _She_ would be the death of him.

Rather than fight with her, Rafael opted to push into his room. She slipped in behind him and grabbed his arm. When he turned to face her, she crossed her arms.

"Well?" she challenged, "Are you going to shower first or not?"

"You're infuriating, you know that right?" Rafael said conversationally, more to buy time than anything as he tossed his wet towel aside and placed his wallet and key card on the dresser.

Unsurprisingly, she grinned. "And you're a stubborn son-of-a-bitch."

"Guilty as charged," he smirked. _God her smile..._ Her amusement was more than a little contagious. "I already told you, Benson, I am _not_ showering first."

"Why not?" she shot back.

"'Cause you want me to," he quirked, grinning broadly now.

She scowled at him. "Ass."

"Tease," he shot back.

Her eyebrows flew up, "Excuse me? _What_ did you just call me?"

Well fuck. His eyes were wide as he swallowed heavily, "Nothing."

"Oh really?" she retorted, "Because it _sounded_ like you called me a tease." Rafael's eyes darted between her and the door as she approached him; her expression was unreadable. "Am I a tease, Barba? Am I teasing you?" Her eyes were intense and searching as she got up in his face, "Tell me," she breathed.

The smell of chlorine and Olivia was a heady combination. "I..."

As she pressed forward, he stumbled back. "Tell me, Rafael."

The sound of his name on her lips sent a shiver down his spine that cleared his mind. That look on her face, the way she'd been acting... She wanted this too.

She _actually_ wanted this too.

"You're not a tease," he blurted feeling lighter than he'd ever felt, "I'm just an idiot. And a coward."

Her mouth dropped open with surprise and she faltered. "What?"

"I'm an idiotic coward," he repeated with a smile, his hungry eyes trained on her parted lips. "And I think you know it."

She blinked. "I do?"

"Yes. If I wasn't such an _idiotic_ coward, I would've done this last night."

Something within him exploded as he _finally_ grabbed her by the straps of her bathing suit. When she gasped with surprise but didn't jerk back at the sudden movement, he pressed the full length of his body against hers and brought his lips a millimeter from hers before he paused. Her eyes, which had fluttered shut, popped open and flicked down to his lips. They stayed that way, a breath apart.

"Are you sure—"

"I swear to god Rafael Barba," she snapped, "If you don't—"

He closed the distance between them and— _Finally, oh god yes, finally!_ —kissed her with an intensity that would've surprised anyone but them. A soft whimper escaped her mouth as her lips parted and deepened their kiss and he let his hands settle heavily on her hips. The feeling of his hands on her sent a hot rush of desire through his body, one that only intensified as she ran her fingers through his hair, her lips growing more and more demanding until they broke apart gasping.

"New plan," he panted, "Shower with me." It wasn't a question.

"I'd hate to waste water," she breathed, making him grin.

And then his hands were on her again and he was kissing her, all hot and wanton, backing her towards the bathroom as his hands explored the curves he'd been desperately trying to ignore. His pulse raced as she ran her hands up his chest, her hands leaving trails of heat wherever she touched her. When her back hit the bathroom door heavily, she let out a small grunt of pain that he swallowed, his hand scrambling for the doorknob. She let out a small shriek as the door opened behind her pitching her back but she stayed on her feet, breaking away from him. Both of their chests were heaving as they stared each other down.

They were wearing little more than what they'd worn less than 24 hours ago but this time when his eyes drank her in, there was no doubt at the hunger in her eyes and no way she could possibly doubt his.

He'd barely closed the door behind him with a resolute click when she crowded him, her leg coming between his to effectively pin him against the door. A strangled groan passed through his lips.

"Olivia—"

Her lips cut him off until he turned his head away, sucking in a shaky breath.

"Olivia..."

"Shhh..." she trailed kisses down his neck and lower as she sunk to her knees, pulling his damp swim trunks down to expose his hard cock.

"You don't have to—"

"I want to," she said and then he was cursing, fighting the urge to buck his hips forward as she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, took him in her mouth, and began to suck. One of his hands gripped the doorframe and the other her hair as his eyes rolled back and she continued to pleasure him, gagging a little when he hit that back of her throat. He looked down moments later and almost died when he met her eyes, her mouth still wrapped around him.

"Olivia..." he panted, "Oh— _Olivia_..."

Her eyes closed as she bobbed her head faster, moving her hand now too in a way that had him gasping. When his legs began to shake she took him as far as she could, swirling her tongue. This time when he hissed "Olivia!" his voice was shaky and harsh and he was too fucking close. "God, s-stop!"

He almost wanted to cry as she pulled back and looked up at him, his heart still pounding. Wordlessly understanding he needed her off the ground, she pushed herself up from her kneeling position, her eyes traveling the length of his body as she stood. "You didn't have to stop me," she said seriously as she leaned against the counter.

"I know," he managed, running his hands through his damp hair to calm himself. She looked distractingly smug. "I didn't want to..." his voice trailed off and he pushed off of the door, "Not yet at least. I want to touch you first."

* * *

_He wants to_ touch me.

Olivia bit her lip as his words sent a jolt of heat through her body. God, she was so wet. "You want to touch me?" she asked. "Then get over here."

"I don't think so." The way he leaned against the door, still naked... _Fuck._ He looked her up and down looking contemplative until a smirk slowly spread across his face. "Get on the counter," he commanded.

 _What?_ She gaped at him, "What?"

"Get on the counter."

She glanced at the marble assessing how sturdy it looked and then back to him. He jerked his head as if to say _Hop up_. She flushed and did what he said.

His lids were hooded now, drinking her in. "Spread your legs for me."

Olivia's face flushed hotly as she gripped the counter and spread her legs. Her core clenched as his lips parted to mouth a small "Wow."

After a moment, he shook his head a little and began to slowly make his way over to her, stepping between her legs. When he just stood there she began to squirm.

"Rafa..."

He just smirked at her.

"Rafael, please."

He brought his hand up to brush his knuckles against the fabric covering her core.

She shuddered and moaned.

"You like that?" he murmured.

She nodded profusely. "Yes. _Yes."_

He did it again.

Her head fell back with a hiss that turned into a growl when he pulled his hand away, "Who's the tease now?" she snapped, "If you don't— _Oh,"_ she gasped as, without warning, he pushed the fabric of her bathing suit aside and slipped a finger inside her. " _Oh_..."

She hummed with pleasure as he added a second finger and bucked forward, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her breaths were short and hot on his neck.

"More."

* * *

It was the hottest thing he'd ever heard.

He crooked his fingers and groaned with pleasure as she bit his shoulder and clamped around his fingers. "Jesus Liv, you're so wet." When he began to move his fingers, he was rewarded with his name, a long, drawn-out thing that sounded so fucking filthy; she quickly topped it seconds later when she turned her head and whispered in his ear.

"Fuck me."

Air hissed through his teeth as his cock twitched, "Soon."

She bit his earlobe, making him yelp as she pushed away from him, still seated on the counter. His fingers continued to pump inside her as he smirked at her. The glare Olivia fixed him with could've melted glass.

"Fuck you."

"In due time," he teased, twisting his fingers to make her gasp and shudder.

She tried a different approach. "Rafa..." Her voice was breathy and needy and powerful and seductive all at once as she pushed one of her bathing suit straps off her shoulders with one hand, the other gripping the counter, "I want you," she murmured.

He swallowed heavily, his resolve waning, "Not yet."

She ran a hand down his chest, scraping her nails through his chest hair, "C'mon Raf."

He sighed, stared at her, and nodded, "Alright. Fuck it."

She grinned as he slipped his fingers out of her and licked them clean while maintaining eye contact ( _fuck_ ) before picking her up off the counter. When he set her down only to turn away from her she let out a surprised "What—?"

He stalked over to the shower and turned on the spray.

She was scowling when he turned back to her.

"Are you always like this?" she demanded.

"Like what?"

"So—So _frustrating?"_

"Maybe," he snarked. "What're you going to do about it?"

Her eyes flashed.

"This."

She crossed the distance between them and suddenly they were stepping into the tub and they were wet and he was cursing her bathing suit, peeling it off of her as water poured down her body, and she was _naked_ and she was _gorgeous_ and she was _begging him_ —no, _telling him_ —to touch her right there— _God, yes there, Rafa, there_.

And then their eyes met and his heart stopped.

Their harried hands slowed to gentle caresses as they just _looked_ at each other.

_God, she's beautiful._

Her lips were so fucking soft when she kissed him and pressed her wet body against his, this time not because she wanted his body close but because she wanted _him_ close. When he'd grabbed that stupid bottle of body wash, the one that had clattered across the bathroom floor, she didn't know but suddenly his hands were lathered with it and they were sliding down her body, washing her and causing her breath to catch her throat from the goddamn intimacy of it all. When his hands stilled, she held out her hand for the bottle, took it, and did the same, relishing the feeling of his skin under her soapy hands. His eyes never left hers and when she finished he kissed her deeply.

She pulled away only to breathe his name, "Rafael..." she breathed. "Rafael— _Oh._ " Without her lips to distract him, he'd brought his attention to her pert, hard nipples. "Rafael..."

"I like when you call my name, cariño," he murmured against her skin.

"And I like your tongue— _God!"_ Olivia bucked forward as his fingers dipped between her legs.

"I always pictured you quieter than this," he commented, abandoning her breasts to kiss her neck.

"Al— _Jesus, Raf_ —Always?" she managed to ask.

"You haven't pictured this?" His breath was hot in her ear; she shivered.

"Maybe n-not this," she admitted, her words clipped as his fingers rubbed at her swollen clit, "But def-definitely. Something."

He crooked his fingers inside her with one hand and brushed his thumb across her nipple with the other, making her cry out as he whispered in her ear, "Tell me."

"I want," she broke off with a gasp, "I wanna see if you can put that sharp tongue of yours to good use."

He abruptly withdrew his fingers.

"That can be arranged." His face was eager as he pulled away from her. "Let's go."

Olivia could only nod dumbly as her body simultaneously protested the loss of his fingers and screamed with anticipation of his tongue.

He turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and handed it to her while he stretched to get one for himself.

Olivia's hands were shaking as she toweled off and wrung out her hair. By the time she'd finished, he was waiting outside the shower for her with that _look_ on his face. It was her undoing.

Her lips were hungry, his hands were greedy. They were insatiable as they stumbled back towards his room; Olivia kicked open the door this time.

"Where do you want me?"

"Get on the bed," she commanded.

He scrambled to obey. "Tell me what you want Olivia."

"I want to fuck your mouth."

He groaned with pleasure as he leaned back, her words sending a powerful rush of heat to his already aching cock.

"You like that?"

He could barely nod.

"I want to ride your face."

"Do it," he watched eyes wide as she began to crawl towards him, taking her time, "Dios mío Liv, please," he begged.

She made sure to rub against his cock as she climbed over him. "In due time," she whispered, an echo of his own teasing words.

By the time she'd positioned herself above his face, he was itching to touch her. And then she was on him.

* * *

Olivia's eyes rolled back as she felt Rafael lick a slow, tortuous path up her slit and her body jerked, unconsciously seeking more. He was happy to oblige and drew a high-pitched, strangled whine from the back of her throat as he took her clit between his teeth. When he plunged his tongue inside her, she lunged forward, her hands landing hard on the bed. He let out a satisfied hum, chasing her body as he leaned his head back to continue his ministrations.

The first time he made her come, she was still in this position, her legs spread, hovering over him as she slumped forward.

The second time, she was sat up, meeting his tongue in the rhythm they'd set together until she could no longer maintain the pace as he licked and sucked and nibbled at her clit.

The third time, she was on his lap, her back to his chest, her body too spent to fuck the mouth currently kissing her neck as she leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder. He'd spread her legs with his, his fingers doing the work his mouth his no longer could.

When she finally came back down from her high, she was straddling him face-to-face as Rafael sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned forward to wrap her arms around him.

"Fuck, Rafa..." she murmured, chest heaving. "Give me—fuck—give me a second."

He kissed the side of her head. "Of course, cariño."

Her eyes fluttered shut as he began to run his fingers through her damp hair. "Mmmm... That feels nice."

"Good."

After a minute or two, she leaned back to look at him, still slick with sweat. He untangled his fingers from her hair.

"This feels distinctly unfair to you," she pouted.

His eyebrows shot up, "Unfair?"

"Need I remind you of the three times I—"

"Yes please," he grinned, "I'd love a reminder, you were spectacular."

She blushed, "Still. You haven't even—"

"I don't mind."

"You sure?" Olivia asked skeptically, reaching between them to grasp him firmly.

His body shuddered.

"No," he spat out.

"Let me make you come," she begged.

"Soon."

"I think you like torturing yourself," she observed.

"Ever heard of delayed gratification?" he quirked only to gasp when she gave him a particularly rough pump of her hand. "I've— _Jesu_ s Liv—I've been waiting for years, I think I can last a couple more minutes."

"Firstly, I hope it's not just a couple more minutes," she snarked; his mouth opened to correct himself but she spoke over him, "But more importantly, 'years'?"

His mouth snapped shut.

She began to grin. "We're so stupid."

"What?"

"Exactly how long have we been dancing around each other?"

"Too long," he said with a crooked half-smile.

"Yeah..." she hummed, looking down at his hard cock, "Too long."

When she looked up, his eyes were hot and intense. "Do you have protection?" he murmured.

"Do we need protection?" she asked, "I'm clean, I can't have kids."

He almost blacked out. "I-I'm clean," he choked out.

"So?"

He gave her a sharp nod and Olivia adjusted her position, still gripping his cock. She sank down onto him oh so slowly as Rafael let out a string of Spanish swear words.

"Oh god, Liv, you're so _tight_."

All she could do was groan. He felt so _good_ , so _deep_. And then he was gripping her hips, helping her move until she ground down on him _hard_ , "Olivia—ah, fuck!"

Their eyes locked, followed by their lips when she lunged forward tangling her fingers in her hair as he kissed her deeply, nipping hard at her bottom lip.

He pulled back gasping, "Liv—"

He let out a strangled, guttural noise as she clenched around his cock and he saw stars.

She smiled smugly and did it again.

He barely held onto consciousness, somehow having the presence of mind to push up and flip them so she landed softly on her back as he began to thrust, using his position to control the pace. She moaned, her head falling back as he pounded into her and suddenly she was coming again and he was gripping her hips in a desperate attempt to prolong her high, ignoring the pressure mounting within him and she was begging him to let go, telling him how she wanted to feel him, and he was finally coming harder, sweeter, better than he ever had before.

He came to seconds, minutes, years later, on top of her, still inside her.

"Mmmm..." he hummed. "We should've done this years ago."

She laughed softly as he pulled out of her only to flop over next to her. Olivia snuggled up in the crook of his arm. "Mmm... maybe. Or maybe not."

He looked over at her.

"I like our timing," she shrugged.

"I like you," he grinned.

Her face broke into a wide smile. "I like you too."

A warm silence fell over the two as they laid there soaking in the peaceful intimacy of it all.

"You know, those flowers were really pretty," he drawled lazily, turning his head to look down at her with a small smile.

"Oh really?" she asked quietly.

"I hate flowers, but those flowers were really pretty."

Her little laugh was music to his ears. "You sound drunk, Rafael."

"Drunk on you," he crooned, knowing she'd hate to love it.

"God that's such an awful line," she groaned, blushing a little.

"If only it were a line."

She rolled over to look at him. "Who would've thought you'd get sappy after sex?"

"I don't usually."

"So I'm special then?"

His eyes were soft when he brought his hand up to brush her hair off her forehead, "Yeah. Yeah, you're pretty special."

"You're not so bad yourself," she hummed, pleased, "Even if you can't swim."

He shifted to scowl at her; she was grinning like an idiot. "I can't believe you got me in the water."

"I wonder what it'd take to get you back in there," she said, a mischievous look on her face.

"You know what?" he smirked, "I'd like to see you try."

So she did.


End file.
